Rise Up
by Melody Anne Bee
Summary: After going back in time to save his parents, Finn returns to a revolutionary Earth fighting between the Underground Rebel Forces and the Joining Kingdoms known as Union Square. It has been eight years now since the war began, but when the love of his life gets caught in the crossfires will he end his life of heroism forever?


All minors under the age of eighteen are required by law to remain indoors by nineteen hundred hours, no exceptions.

Anyone with enough balls to venture from the safety of their homes into the fog and streetlights has on average a 15% chance of making it back, what with all the _pests_ running around Unit 5-G. Without the right line of defense a person could get slaughtered by the Infected, butchered by Biters or worse, get arrested by the world famous tight ass Mr. Commanding Officer Summers.

That's O.S. for short, but no one wants to ever get caught calling him that while in his oh so glorious presence. Always say his full title. For as long as I can remember he has always been in charge of Unit Five's task force and the many small police departments in the area. Well known for his deeply creased forehead and over all dreary attitude. O.S. decided that in order to avoid another misdiagnosis the gates of the quarantine zone here in post war Iowa be sealed off from twenty-two hundred hours to O' four hundred hours. If you don't know how to convert astronomical time into standard time: when the sun goes down nothing's coming in or out of those gates. But that's when _they_ try to squeeze in like rats under a door.

On a regular basis no one is allowed inside without proper identification and a passing medical exam grade of no less or greater than ten. Ten is human, anything higher is mutant and anything lower is infected.

If a person was born after the war, for example my generation, like any other child they went to school.

* * *

Thirteen years ago…

Sunrise Elementary School and Daycare on 175th street and Carnation was entering its fifteenth successful academic year when I enrolled in the late winter of 1038AA; this was the third school I had been to since mother died two years ago.

Now it was just dad and me.

Maybe ten minutes before class was suppose to start my dad drove up to the curb with me in the backseat of his faded brown Chrysler VJ Valiant; the one his friend Bobby fixed up for us. Bobby wasn't one for change, on the husky side, liked to have his hair slicked back, and had a tattoo of a naked woman on his right arm. Classy right? As expected he didn't really approve of his best friend playing lover boy and settling down, not to mention having a brat kid like me.

Aside from being a complete dick most of the time Bobby wasn't all that bad. Very good at fixing busted up cars and since no one ever made new ones Bobby was a really handy guy to have around. I mean when ever dad had to work he dropped me off at Bobby's workshop. Even though he would grumble and complain about me going though his shit (mostly old cassette tapes and comic books but who gives right?).

I was Bobby's darling little pain in the ass.

From the sidewalk we could see the crowd of other children with their parents waiting to be let in. The line wasn't that long though, there was enough staff members there helping people along with their late registration work. Dad took my hand and walked me over to where doctors greeted us with white surgical masks and latex gloves.

Inside the tents, faint rays of sunlight shown through the blue nylon like we were swimmingly lost under the surface of a lake that smelled like chemicals and toxic cleaners. My dad was my life jacket. Doctors and nurses hid their faces from everyone behind masks. One of the picked me up and placed me on the plastic covered cot. I picked up my chin to my dad and tugged on his sleeve looking for some form of comfort.

He knew that and cupped my face in his hands, "don't be afraid. Okay Fi?" I nodded my head yes.

Meanwhile the doctor they had on staff set his briefcase looking thing down on the floor, released the clamps, and removed the loaded triple barrel syringe from its dark velvet lining-Labeled "BIOTrinit3."

I couldn't see his name tag so for now well just call him "Doc."

Doc was a tall dark skinned man with cheerfully hazel eyes.

He told me and my dad that I had to lie on my stomach. Of course I was pretty skeptical but my dad told me everything was going to be okay, so naturally I believed him. The plastic sheet rustled while I got comfortable. My dad laughed a little messing up my bangs.

"You good, kiddo?"

"Yup… I'm as ready as I'll ever be, bring it on." I sighed lowering my chin onto my crossed arms. Shots didn't bother me so much, but it is weird feeling the needle inside you. Almost like when someone first tells you how mosquitoes wiggle their tongue straw into your skin and steal your precious red fluids right from under your nose and you can't help but feeling violated. Dad held my hand throughout the whole ordeal. Dad nodded to Doc. We were all a go for the procedure. Then I felt a waft of cold air hit the top side of my cheek and Doc's rubber gloves pulling on the waist of my jeans, leggings and stuff. All the blood in my body rushed up to my face and I tightened my grip on my dad who was still laughing. Doc wiped my skin with those cold little alcohol wipes. I braced myself for the worse.

Then came the shots. THREE MOTHER FLUFFING GIANT ASS NEEDLES IN MY HIP. Dad said I cried for twenty minutes like a little girl, with my hair stuck to my face. I don't believe that though 'cause I'm pretty tough.

Before he let me go with my teacher he pulled me aside. His baseball mitt hands zipped my coat up to my neck. "Where's your hat?" Dad asked tucking my oversized gloves into the cuff of my sleeves.

I shrugged my shoulders.

Dad smiled unevenly and swiped his white knit hat off his head then gave it to me, pulled it over my head. It was too big, covered my eyes a little bit and I laughed while my dad hugged me goodbye. Dad blessed my day with a prayer so that goodness and mercy followed me on my way to school. I never doubted that my father and my mother were meant to be. I mean how could a man and a woman be married for thirteen years, have a child and not meant to be together?

In the class room I took off my winter coat and stowed it away in my cubby with my tattered gloves, I thought about removing my hat before opting to keep it with me.

My new teacher greeted the class and perched herself at the edge of the desk, she was very pretty with her reddish hair and snow white smile. Smiling politely with her clipboard hugged to her chest and a piece of chalk in the other, waiting for the murmurs her entry had brought about to hush over. A minute later she cleared her throat, went to the black board and began to write as she spoke: "WELCOME TO CLASS 5-2!"

She told us she was so excited for this year and the long list of books we would be reading, which was slightly interesting. Her name was Mrs. Petrikov and she spoke ever so softly, so softly that you sometimes had to really strive to hear her at all. Mrs. Petrikov was always patient; never shouting, she kept her temper under control at all times, even when the other students gave her the worst answers.

The first few days of school had gone by so fast. By the second week the students were playing on jungle gyms in the schoolyard, talking like they've known each other since birth. Sitting with my arms around my knees near the fence I was a little more isolated. I was no socialite. At least not like the other girls.

I was pretty much alone till the day I met Conner and Finn.

* * *

**Do I really gotta remind you guys to review?**

**Sorry about all the update though, things are just falling into place...**


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